A Piece of Paris in Dalt Vila

Model, Danielle Mosley, opens the door to her beautiful Dalt Vila home, an artistic kaleidoscope of old-world styles
Amongst all the cosmopolitan interiors many of Dalt Vila’s buildings have been sacrificed to, it’s comforting to know at least one remains faithful to the romanticism of times past. Hidden behind an unassuming door in one of the old fortress’s cobblestone alleys, is the remarkable product of Ibiza interior designer, Anisya Sam’s latest project.

From the narrow archways and feminine, dusty pastels to the striking period furniture and ornate glass chandeliers, this apartment invokes a Paris of the twenties and thirties, a golden age of bohemianism and luxury. In every room lie treasures spanning antiquity to the early twentieth century, many of which Sam has sourced from all around the world.

The central living room is heavily influenced by the work of renown Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa, the father of Tropical Modernism and one of Sam’s biggest inspirations. ‘He worked closely with nature and was very avant-garde. His work is strong, mystical and symbolic.’

The room features a rare, colonial style Bawa table with legs of deer antler, real ebony inlay and the maker’s signature carved into the wood. The piece is matched with two 1930’s walnut and cane nursing chairs and a vintage teak settee. In the corner of the room sits an antique Godin cast iron stove in immaculate condition, decorated with Art Nouveau detail. The palms and hanging orchids, which continue throughout every room, create a whimsical atmosphere and the original tiled flooring, indicative of the buildings Spanish roots, possesses a beauty only age can bestow.

Further on is the master bedroom, dominated by the panels of a 250-year-old, intricately carved, Afghan cupboard transformed into a bedhead. A stone fireplace and water feature in opposite corners balance one another. The elegant adjoining dressing room boasts a beautiful antique French cupboard gracing an entire wall. Heady scents of jasmine and honeysuckle drift inside from the vines lining every doorframe of the balcony where panoramic views of Ibiza Port lay open.

Climbing the narrow spiral staircase to the second floor is like entering Alice’s wonderland. Small, solitary windows provide glimpses of the weathered rooftops across Ibiza Town. A low doorway leads to an intimate sitting room wherein sits a gorgeous Louis XV salon suite, masterfully restored with soft turquoise and golden fleur-de-lys upholstery.

The intricate Art Nouveau fixtures and historical gems continue through every room. It’s easy to imagine this place belonging to a young, love-struck Parisian couple, draped in elegance, wistfully dreaming their day away in bedded luxury while sipping champagne, reading works of Jean Cocteau and listening to the sounds of Edith Piaf lament through the house. This beautiful Dalt Vila apartment invokes a time of art and true elegance, sadly, often long forgotten.